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Hasan Minhaj addresses ‘dorky controversy’ in new Netflix special, ‘Off With His Head’

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Hasan Minhaj addresses 'dorky controversy' in new Netflix special, 'Off With His Head'

As a fan and admirer of Hasan Minhaj, I find his unique blend of humor, faith, and cultural background incredibly captivating. His ability to navigate through the complexities of life, comedy, and religion is nothing short of impressive.

Titled “Off With His Head,” this latest comedy special from Hasan Minhaj, former senior correspondent on “The Daily Show” and host of “Patriot Act,” offers a humorous take on the challenging year he had last year, which could be compared to surviving a public execution. The dark experience has become the inspiration for his sharp, amusing, and timely one-hour Netflix special that is now available for streaming.

39-year-old Minhaj found himself at the heart of a nearly controversial situation regarding truthfulness in comedy last year, following an article published by The New Yorker alleging that he had fabricated personal experiences for his two stand-up specials on Netflix, “The King’s Jester” from 2022 and “Homecoming King” from 2017.

The investigation wasn’t part of a fact-check blitz targeting successful stand-up comedians with TV specials. It was specific to Minhaj and went to great lengths to show that he embellished aspects of his personal life in some of his jokes. The focus was on his claims of being discriminated against because of his skin color and being profiled because he’s Muslim. The fact that the story gained any traction, let alone became a thing for about 10 minutes, is still a mystery. Or maybe it’s not. There are perils to joking while Muslim.

Minhaj clarified and justified the choices he made in his performances through a video response, while also sharing audio recordings, emails, and background details to claim that The New Yorker overlooked information he had previously provided regarding the article’s content.

As social media argued the merits of emotional truth versus historical accuracy, Minhaj says he lost the most coveted gig of any comedian’s career: host of “The Daily Show.”

Earlier this year, during his performance at the Netflix Is a Joke festival, Minhaj remarked, “We’ve all experienced failure in our lives. However, have you ever failed so dramatically that you managed to bring back Jon Stewart? I revived a near-extinct institution. Consider it my gift to you.

Now, he’s returned with a sharp mind and witty humor, tackling topics like gerontology and the U.S. Congress (dubbed “a mass nursing home.gov”), delving into cultural nuances between Caucasia and Beige-istan – referring to groups such as Latinos, Indians, and Arabs – and finding delight in guiding both his young children and elderly parents through the art of using an iPad.

Minhaj, known for his podcast “Hasan Minhaj Unaware,” discussed with The Times his method of tackling comedy fearlessly. To make the text more understandable and concise, this dialogue was revised for clarity and brevity.

In a more casual tone, “Stand-up comedy that really works needs you to take risks and expose yourself. After your comedy was fact-checked, did it feel tough to get back to that risky, vulnerable place?

The beautiful thing about comedy is that it’s one of the only art forms where you do have to [talk about] the elephant in the room, even if you’re the butt of the joke. Keeping that in perspective is really, really important. Comedy is such a unique art form in the sense that you’re building pressure and then releasing it. It allows you to constantly have that release. You can take two things like joy as a form of release — just being silly, hilarious, naughty, irreverent — and emotions like pain, humiliation, then trauma and tragedy — and you can also have a release. That was my approach with it.

Was the impact of the New Yorker article on your work the reason behind any modifications in your writing and performance style, particularly with regard to this specific project?

Previously, I shared a detailed 21-minute video explaining the events that transpired. I included all necessary receipts and materials related to the items that were excluded from the article. In essence, I made it publicly available for anyone who wishes to discuss, analyze, or even litigate the matter further. The video includes emails, receipts, and a step-by-step breakdown of events. With this in place, we can now concentrate on this specific piece of work without worrying about its integration into my show. I won’t have to ponder whether to discuss it or not; instead, I can treat this hour as an independent and unique work of comedy. Other comedians might have attempted to incorporate it into their shows, but I am free from such considerations.

Hasan Minhaj addresses 'dorky controversy' in new Netflix special, 'Off With His Head'

In a unique and humorous manner, you skillfully navigate through political divisions, mispronunciations of your name, Asian prejudice, and immigrant experiences – though these topics are not the main focus of your special. However, when you do address them, it’s side-splittingly funny. You humorously comment, “It’s a dull controversy. It’s not even a good one. I didn’t sleep with a porn star. I didn’t abuse a boy. I was caught exaggerating for dramatic effect. The same thing your aunt might get caught doing over Thanksgiving.” Additionally, the meticulous details you provide about the car you drive are included to prevent fact-checking issues.

That’s right. The Kia Carnival.

You give lease agreement details.

I’m an internet bad boy. What can I say?

The special goes into a world that I’ll describe as a third-rail of race and cultural humor.

For the longest time, culture and the framing of the American cultural narrative existed in a black-white dichotomy. But there’s this third thing in America called Beige-istan, which is like Indians, Latinos, Filipinos, Arabs, wherever Bruno Mars is from. It’s this group of people that are immigrants by choice, that basically came to America and signed the iTunes user agreement of the empire. Beige culture has a unique set of like values, complexities that Black America and white America do not fully understand, that is such a rich vein for comedy. I loved swimming those waters. That was so fun and cool. I can’t wait for people to see how they feel about that.

Going back to a raw, live performance feel, ‘Off With His Head’ presents just you, a microphone, a stage, and the audience encompassing you.

I wanted to strip away some of the visual elements, so it’s just the raw articulation of the ideas, and have the vulnerability and the comedy come through that way, without lighting changes [or] cue changes. Comedy, poetry and jazz are kind of cousins of one another. They are performed live in relatively intimate rooms. In the medium of television, broadcast, cable and now streaming specials, it essentially took an art form which was originally designed to entertain anywhere between 200 people to a couple thousand people, and now [is] broadcast in 190 countries. That took it from [a] performance and flattened it into a presentation. My whole goal was that I don’t want it to feel like a presentation. I want it to feel immersed. I remember [our] stage designer saw it and said, “Oh, it’s almost like a public execution.” I go, “Yeah, kinda.”

Did the publication of the article make you worry that other cartoonists might hesitate to use creative freedom in their work, fearing similar criticism?

I’m gonna be honest. The fact-checking thing happened to me. I don’t think it’s going to happen to other comedians at large. I think it was a conversation point for that period of time. My macro philosophical take on it [comes down to] my spiritual upbringing as a Muslim. In life, sometimes you catch good ones, sometimes you catch bad ones. Sometimes you’ll get a good review, sometimes you’ll get a bad review. Sometimes a gig breaks your way, sometimes it doesn’t. That’s just kind of how it shakes out. You can’t always put a neat button on it at the end, where there’s a message [and it] all resolves itself. Is that trite? I don’t know. It’s just like, “Hey, you caught a bad one,” and that’s part of this business.

Some people might find it surprising that you’re so deeply religious, considering the irreverent nature of your humor. It seems there’s a misunderstanding that bold comedy and the practice of Islam are incompatible.

In my view, God has the ultimate wisdom. It’s something I deeply trust. I may not be able to explain why, but I hold on to my faith. Things are in good hands, and they will work out for the best.

How about we discuss the latest podcast that presents you as a two-time Peabody Award winning comedian, also known for dealing with IBS. It’s similar to “The Patriot Act,” but instead of stand-up comedy, it focuses on interviews. Some of your notable guests have been Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and Lakers coach JJ Redick.

Bernie Sanders is undeniably a highly influential American political figure who strongly supports progressive causes. However, his persona might be compared to an old-fashioned tweed jacket in motion – his sincerity and energetic, exuberant, youthful spirit were truly enjoyable.

The concept for my show originated approximately a year ago when President Obama’s team contacted us, expressing that the president wished to conduct more interviews due to his reduced social media presence. He appreciated my show and expressed interest in collaborating, which turned out to be an enjoyable experience for all involved.

The format is really unique and interesting and something I wasn’t able to explore on “Patriot Act.” The traditional late night structure that has an Act 3 guest doesn’t really allow for this type of conversation. When you have an hour or [more], you can take the time to get past the talking points and get to, “What are your motivations behind the decisions that you make?”

You were employed by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” as a senior correspondent from 2014 to 2018. Since then, he has returned as the main host. However, this is partly due to you no longer being in that position. Has he shown support during this transition?

He’s an ardent advocate for what he believes in. He often says, “Hey, here’s your chance to turn this into something laugh-out-loud funny!” He’s someone I can rely on for advice, whether it’s about ideas or actions. He’s a crucial figure in my life. I admire him deeply. He played a significant role in my professional success and introduced me to the world of show business. In many ways, he paved the path for my career. He not only provided me with healthcare benefits but also sponsored my green card for the entertainment industry.

The phrase ‘Off With His Head’ humorously contrasts the independent spirit of American culture against the upbringing by your Indian parents.

In a unique and engaging manner, I compare American society to one that highly values individualism, which often feels contrasting to my upbringing in a collectivist Indian household. This clash between individualism and collectivism is fascinating to explore on stage, particularly in Texas. A humorous anecdote that encapsulates this tension might be: “Let me see if I’ve got this right, your dog gets better healthcare than your mother? You’re really losing the thread here.” This approach allows me to discuss both the treasured aspects of our cultures and the baggage we may need to discard. It’s all about embracing the beauty and the complexity that makes our cultural heritage so compelling.

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2024-10-22 23:32

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